Misguided Ghosts
by SecondWind20
Summary: Clara Hawkins had a normal life. She got good grades, was a fantactic chaser, and had 4 of the best friends a person could ask for, but one horrific night destroyed everything. 2 years later she finally returns, but will things ever be like they were? UP!
1. All Things Normal

"Hey Clara! Wait up!" A yell rang out through the stone hallways, causing many heads to turn towards the source of the sound, including a head covered in curly blonde hair. The girl stopped in the middle of the hall and waved goodbye to her friends as a boy with mousy brown hair reached her with a smile on his face.

"Hi Remus." Clara smiled at her friend, her bright blue eyes shining behind a pair of stylish glasses.

"What did you think of that exam?" Remus asked as the pair began to walk down the ever-changing staircase. Clara groaned as they reached the main entrance.

"I should have studied more. That question on bogarts totally threw me."

"Yeah, that was a tricky one. I totally got stuck on the bubble-headed spell... I couldn't remember the incantation for the life of me." They entered the crowded grand hall and walked over to the table littered with students of all ages, all wearing red and gold lined robes.

"Hey Moony! Over here." A boy with glasses and messy dark brown hair called to Remus. James and Peter were sitting up towards the teacher's table playing a game of wizard's chess. As Clara and Remus sat down, James knocked Peter's piece over, effectively ending the game. "Nice try mate. Maybe one day you'll be able to beat the blind witch from the Hog's Head." Peter sighed in defeat before clearing off his place and piling his plate with food.

"That's not very nice behavior James." Clara stated as she poured a glass of lemonade. James chuckled as he took a huge bite of ham.

"Nice behavior doesn't win many games now does it Clarey?" She rolled her eyes before pulling out a small brown notebook and looking over sloppily written notes. She pulled a sandwich off the tray and began to munch quietly. "And speaking of winning games, are you ready for this Saturday? Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw you know."

"James, am I ever _not_ ready for a quidditch game? It'll be fine, so don't worry."

"Well maybe if you didn't still make googly-eyes at that McNash bloke every chance you get we wouldn't have to worry about winning." A dark voice interrupted. Clara glared at Sirius as he sat next to James, a huge smirk on his face.

"Excuse me, but I do NOT make 'googly-eyes' at Steven every chance I get!" She snapped at Black, making him smirk even more, "And even if I did, James basically goes brain-dead every time he even thinks about Evan's and you never say anything to him!" Right on queue, James' got his stupid Lily-face: A wide grin and glossed over eyes, surrounded by a pink face. Clara rolled her eyes again.

"That's cause James's love is unrequited. You and _Steven_ have a history and that makes him a bigger threat to our victory." Sirius responded, mocking Clara by exaggerating the name of her recently ex-boyfriend.

"Oh, so because we used to date you think I'll go easy on him?" The tension in the group was starting to sour and Remus attempted to smooth over the ruffled fur by mentioning the next class they all had together. Clara and Sirius were having none of it.

"That's exactly what I think." Sirius' dark eyes twinkled with challenge as he helped himself to some food. "Women are irrational and unpredictable and the quidditch cup is too important to sacrifice because of your broken heart."

"For your information," Clara stuffed her notebook back in her bag as she shouted at Sirius. Her voice became so loud that several people stopped talking and began to watch as she rose from the table. "I was the one who broke up with him. And not all women are like the pathetic slags that you like to stuff and abandon, so piss off." She threw her bag over her shoulder and fixed her glasses in a huff before placing both hands on the table and leaning towards her shocked friend.

"And another thing, I would start picking girls to snog a little more carefully. You know that Rebecca and Stacey sit right next to each other in Herbology, right?" With that final pearl of wisdom, Clara twisted on her foot and marched away, ignoring the plethora of stares that she received as she made her way to the large wooden door. The marauders sat in surprised silence as they all watched her leave. Remus was the first to break the silence.

"You know, maybe if you spent more time listening to her, instead of checking her out, you would have known that McNash cheated on her. She's pissed and is probably going to send him to the hospital wing this Saturday." James's eyes narrowed at his friend before scanning the Ravenclaw tables until he found the tall blonde chaser. He was sitting with several other members of the team and laughing heartily.

"Well, looks like we'll be playing a little dirty on Saturday. McNash needs to be taught a lesson."

"Why wait till then? We have potions with him next hour." Peter reminded them all as he bit into a custard pie. James beamed at him.

"Wormtail, you are brilliant." The chubby boy flushed in pride before burying himself in his pie.

"I don't see why she yells at me about this stuff. Moony's the only one who knew about McNash." Sirius stated in irritation as he put more food on his plate.

"Because I'm the only one who asked."

"No, it's because you two gossip like women when you go on your little prefect dates at night." Remus blushed slightly.

"We do not!"

"Regardless, Saturday is going to be amazing. Kicking Ravenclaw's arse, plus a full moon. What a perfect weekend." James ran a hand through his hair and mussed it up like normal, smiling wide.

"Yeah, perfect for you... I'm going to need a new robe soon." Remus looked sadly at his slightly worn out robes. "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped."

"Hey guys, are we ever gonna tell Clara about, well... you know." Peter whispered to his friends secretly, his face comically serious. The other boys also fixed their faces into thinking scowls, Remus going slightly pale.

"I-I don't know..."

"I suppose she's earned it. She has put up with a lot these past years." James reminded them.

"But what if she... doesn't approve." Remus's tone shallowed out, becoming a little terrified at the prospect of loosing his friend because of his condition.

"It's Clara, Moony. Worst case scenario is she gets pissed cause we didn't tell her sooner." Sirius reminded him before taking as gulp of milk.

"Yeah, then she'll start on an animagus. What do you think she'd pick? My guess is a cougar." Sirius spit out the milk that had almost slithered down his throat.

"NO!" He sputtered and choked on the liquid caught in his windpipe. After several moments of drama and James patting him on the back harshly, he could finally speak again. "No way! Clara can't become an animagus." His tone was dark and threatening. Remus was shocked to see his best friend acting this way.

"Why not Sirius?"

"You know she's going to want to." James added, reminding them all of how ambitious their female friend could be. Several shudders ripped through the members. "Clara get's what she wants."

"It's too dangerous! You know how much we risked by doing it, how many unexplainable trips to the hospital wing we had to cover up." His tone was unbelievable, as if he couldn't fathom his friends even suggesting that Clara attempt to do something so dangerous. The other three stared at Black in utter shock.

"Ehhh, Sirius, are you feeling ok?" Peter asked.

"I'm perfectly fine," He got up and grabbed his bag, "But I'd better go fix this mess." More shocked glances.

"You-you're going to apologize to Clara?" Remus asked in an astounded voice. Sirius gave him a quizzical look, as if questioning his brilliant friend's sanity.

"Are you daft? I've got to get a hold of Rebecca before the next Herbology class and break up with her." Sirius nodded a goodbye to his friends and walked from the table, leaving a laughing James, a confused Peter, and a tired Remus, who sat shaking his head.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

On Thursday night Clara walked down into the common room to wait for Remus so they could go to the weekly prefect meeting together. It had been 2 days since she had hung out with the guys, still furious at Sirius, so this night alone with her friend was very needed. Classes and quidditch practices had been hard without someone to laugh and joke along with. Clara had many girl friends to talk to, but it was never the same as hanging out with the 'marauders' (She refused to allow anyone to call her one). When she reached the warm and busy common room, her friend Emily, who was sitting on the big couch with Lily Evans, immediately flagged her down.

"Clara, did you _hear_ the latest scoop?" Emily was the house gossip, but Clara always got the best news from her chatty friend, so she didn't mind in the slightest. Whenever her brown haired friend had something really important or surprising to tell, she always began the conversation in this way. Clara sat on the wooden coffee table in front of them with a smile.

"No, but I'm sure your going to tell me." Lily laughed as she opened a book, already knowing the juicy gossip, and allowing Clara Emily's full attention. The short girl also had a severe case of ADD. Emily opened her mouth and took a deep breath, "Wait. Skip the Sirius Black parts. I'm not interested in his lady drama right now." Emily looked chest fallen as she stared at her friend with wide eyes.

"But it's all about Sirius! Oh come on Lala, you will _love_ this! Believe me. Besides, it's not Sirius-girl drama this time. It's more like... Sirius-James-unfortunate boy drama." This got Clara's attention because it meant one of two things: 1. Sirius and James were in a fight, but she was positive that was not true. When Black and Potter fought, the world knew about it. Which meant that it had to be the second option, the two had pulled an amazing prank on some unsuspecting, but often deserving, fool. Clara scooted closer to her friend and Lily rolled her eyes from behind her book. She didn't find the antics of the marauders very amusing, which is why her and Clara weren't very close friends.

"Ok then, spill!"

"Well, you know that total plonker you dumped last month?" Clara cringed a little at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. "Well, today in potions, James and Sirius set up their table next to his and started talking to them about the international quidditch rules or something dumb like that." Clara thought back to her last potions class and remembered that Slughorn had sent her to collect herbs from Professor Sprout during the hour. She hadn't returned to the room until way after the class had ended. "Anyway, so they just sat there talking to him and then all of a sudden his potion _exploded_ on top of him, covering him head-to-toe in this icky purple slime! But that isn't even the worst part!" Emily slapped her hands in front of her face and giggled in anticipation. She didn't continue the story.

"So what happened?" Clara urged her friend to continue, desperate to hear what she had missed. Emily cracked a huge smile and opened her mouth.

"Honestly, I think the bloke must have a family history of childhood hair loss." James explained loudly as the four boys descended from their dormitory. All three girls on the couch stared at them as they entered the room; everyone dressed in casual clothing but Remus, who still donned his robes.

"You're right Prongs. Who were we to know that our hair dying potion would actually cause McNash to go completely bald?" Sirius twirled a red apple in his hands as he plopped down on the chair closest to where Clara was sitting. James, of course, stood next to where Lily sat, much to her chagrin. Peter sat on the floor between the couch and the table with a worried look on his face.

"I think I might have passed you the wrong ingredient James... Did you actually want him bald?" Sirius and James bust out laughing and Clara found it hard not to smile.

"Well, that explains why the potion went so _horribly_ wrong..." Sirius announced sarcastically before taking a bite of his snack. James rubbed the back of his neck, trying to stop laughing so hysterically.

"But padfoot, we must think of it as helping out a fellow sportsman. Now his golden curls can't get into his eyes and obscure his vision during our match on Saturday." This sent all three boys howling with laughter and even Remus chuckled loudly. Clara felt herself smiling for the first time in 2 days, an immense weight sprung from her chest as she looked at each of her friends.

"But I don't think that Marissa Magpie really likes the bald look. Too bad for Steven..." Sirius's mention of the other girl stung Clara's chest and the room went quiet, waiting for a response. She stood up and stretched nonchalantly.

"I guess you just have one more skirt to chase then Padfoot." She smiled at her dark haired friend, who grinned back with sparkling eyes.

"Naw, I don't like the easy birds. Hunting is just too much fun." Clara gave him a pointed look before turning to Remus.

"Ready to go? The castle delinquents await."

"But Clara, we're all right here!" James stated as the two prefects walked from the room, sending everyone back into a fit of laughter. Even Lily chuckled a bit.

Hall duty that night was rather uneventful. Clara and Remus walked through the relatively quiet castle together, talking about a wide range of topics. Clara loved the nights that her and Remus were paired for touring watch because they could study while they walked by discussing their lessons and homework, something they were forbidden to do around the others because it was 'boring and depressing' as Sirius had put it. Tonight they were talking about the animagi class that McGonagall had mentioned to her classes. She warned against any student considering it unless they were serious and highly intelligent.

"I just think it's so interesting. Bending one's own body to become something completely different... It's amazing to think about." Clara said as they emerged from the dungeons.

"Yeah." Remus remarked uncommitted. He was beginning to act rather awkward and Clara wondered what was bothering him. Normally the two could go back and forth for hours on any topic, but he just wasn't biting this one.

"But it's so much work and so exhausting to transform until about the 30th year as an animagus."

"Yep." They started to walk up the grand staircase, towards the library. It was their last stop to check out before they could return to their common rooms for bed.

"If you could pick one animal to transform into for the rest of your life, which one would it be?"

"Uhhh, I don't know... Maybe something fast..." Clara glanced him and noticed how sickly he looked, again. Remus looked utterly exhausted and worn out, not to mention about to vomit at any moment.

"I would wanna be something that can fly. Like an owl... Wizards are always kind to them. But I wouldn't want to actually deliver letters or anything..." She thought for a minute as they climbed another flight of stairs. "Maybe I'll live up to my name and become a hawk? Ehh Remus, get it? _Hawk_ins?"

"Sure." Clara stopped walking and looked at Remus as he went up a few more steps before noticing that he was alone. He turned around with a tired and questioning face.

"What's wrong with you Remus? I know I'm not a great comedian like James and Sirius, but I normally get a chuckle with my corny jokes. Are you rite?" Lupin Smiled down at her without much energy.

"Yeah Clara I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess... With you out of commission the past 2 days I've been listening to all their drama till late at night." He chuckled at her without much heart. As the only female in the group, it was an unwritten law that Clara was required to listen to any and all drama from the boys and then dole out appropriate and effective advice on the subject. She was often dragged into the boys' dormitory at all hours of the night to listen to Lily issues or anything related to Peter's inability to speak to women other than herself. When she fought with the group, the responsibility fell to Remus.

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that." She rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes as she climbed the steps to reach her friend and they continued to walk. This time the conversation fell to the other boys.

"I just wish he would realize that she hates those kind of comments... His life would go so much easier." Remus laughed as they walked towards the fat lady.

"Yeah, Sirius and James need to take a class on how to keep their mouths shut. They would seem so much smarter if they didn't talk." Clara thought back to her most recent argument with the dark haired idiot.

"You know he only does that because it's the only way he gets to you, right?" Remus explained as they reached the lady in pink, who roused rather annoyed.

"Pumpernickel," She said to the painted woman before turning to her friend again with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Sirius is only really used to feeling two things by women: adoration or hatred. You show neither and that bewilders him, so he sometimes forgets that you're actually a girl and he says stupid and hurtful things. Normally it's without thinking, but sometimes I think it's just to elicit a classic female response."

"Wh-what?"

"Are you going through or not? I can't stay open all night!" An irritated and muffled voice interrupted the two and forced them to crawl through the portrait hole. The common room was empty when they arrived; the only light was coming from the dying embers of the fireplace. Clara turned to her wise friend and almost gasped. In such low lighting he looked to bad it was frightening. His young face donned wrinkles that looked carved in and his coloring had turned from white to a sickly ash-green color.

"Remus, are you sure you're feeling well? Cause frankly you look awful."

"Oh, ehh..." Remus turned to Clara, her bright blue eyes shining in concern behind her glasses. He wanted so badly to tell her his secret, but he was terrified of her reaction. He was lucky that the others had accepted him so easily and if he lost his friendship with Clara it would kill him. "Yeah Clara I'm fine. I'll be right as rain after I sleep a bit. Goodnight." He left her at the couch and made his way to the steps to the dorms. She remained behind, watching him leave.

"You know Remus, you can trust me." Her quiet voice shocked him and he stopped, but didn't turn around. "I love you guys more than anything in the world and if something is bothering you I wish you would tell me. I don't want you to ever be in pain or hurting." She smiled at his back. "If someone is giving you grief just let me know... I'll kick their arse." A ghost of a smile floated across Remus's lips before he turned back to his friend.

"Thanks Clara. But don't worry, I'll be fine. And if someone if bothering, believe me, you'll be the first one to know." With that he waved goodbye and ascended the stairs. Clara sighed before bringing her hands to her face, rubbing it slowly in fatigue.

"You know if you keep doing that you'll give yourself wrinkles." A deep voice rang out through the silence, causing Clara to look back at the stairs, her hands on her cheeks. Sirius was standing at the foot of the stairs barefoot, wearing a pair of dark grey sweats and a black silk robe that was untied and hung loosely around his upper body, showing a great expanse of his chest.

"Yeah, 'cause premature wrinkles is the first worry on my list of concerns." Sirius chuckled at her sarcasm as he leaned against the archway. "What are you doing up?"

"I don't really sleep that well before a match..." He explained while shrugging his shoulders, causing the robe to open more. Clara had to force herself to keep her blue eyes on his dark ones. She wouldn't be able to survive the embarrassment if Sirius finally caught her checking him out.

"Our match is on Saturday and you're a terrible liar. What's going on?" Sirius laughed at being caught in a lie by his friend and straightened from the wall.

"I just received a letter from home." Clara was instantly on what the guys called mothering-mode. Her cheeks flushed with a heartwarming pink and her eyes got even bigger with a coating of understanding and love. Even her shoulder length blonde hair seemed softer as she slowly approached her friend.

"I'm so sorry Sirius." She put her hand on his arm, warming the spot on contact. "What did the monster say this time?" Sirius smirked, his eyes darkening at the mention of his dearly hated mother.

"Oh the usual...'you're an embarrassment, you shame the family name, you'll never achieve anything'. Regulus must have told them about our little _potion mishap_..."

"Thanks for that by the way. And sorry for being such a nutter the other day and yelling at you. It wasn't fair, you didn't know about McNash."

"It's ok, I know how emotional you women can get." Clara rolled her eyes before laughing quietly. Her hand was still on his arm, but neither of the seemed to mind the contact. It was warm and soothing for both parties.

"Well, I should get to sleep. And so should you! We have a pop quiz in charms tomorrow and you're not cheating off me again because you fall sleep for the entire class period." She poked him accusingly in the chest with her other hand.

"How do you know about a pop quiz? Aren't they supposed to be surprises." Clara laughed and dropped contact with Sirius before reaching her arms above her head for a much needed stretch.

"Being a good student has its perks you know..." He chuckled darkly before leaning over slightly to be face to face with Clara.

"Not as many as being a Marauder does." The blonde in front of him scoffed before walking past Sirius and up a few steps. Her heart was pounding, and she was afraid that he would be able to hear it.

"Is he really bald?" She questioned quietly. Sirius broke into a full out smile before beginning to laugh again.

"Like a new-born baby..." Clara giggled softly before walking up the remaining steps and out of sight.

"G'night Sirius."

"Night Clara."

His heart didn't stop pounding until the last embers of the fire slowly turned black.

**Soooo, I had to write this... It's been in my head for forever... **

**It's not gonna be just high school life btw... In fact, that's gonna change pretty quick.. hehe! :D Oh and there will be 'adult themes' later on in the story... Don't worry, the people involved are going to be actual adults and maybe not who you'd expect. Harry might show up later... I'm not sure if I want to see him...**

**Let me know what you think... Sorry that this is such a lame intro chappie, the next one will be WAY more interesante!**

**Please Review!**

**Oh and if you wanna, check out the other stories!**


	2. The Death of Clara Hawkins

The sun rose on a beautiful Saturday morning and Clara gently woke up as soft beams of orange light protruded through the small windows on the castle tower. Sitting up in her four-poster bed, Clara noticed that once again she was the first one to wake up. She could never sleep in on quidditch days, no matter how tired she was. And Clara Hawkins was plenty tired. The marauders forced her to run around the castle with them on the previous night to continue working on the magical map they were all creating. It was going to have a lay out of the entire castle, every last nook and cranny; even the hidden and off-limit rooms and passages would be recorded. They had drawn out at least half of the castle and still had a long way to go. Clara was still amazed at how much magic they could all accomplish when they worked together. She smirked to herself as she donned her scarlet and gold quidditch robes before grabbing her broom from her dark brown chest. Clara left her dorm room with her precious Orbit 201 thrown around her shoulders. That broom had been an early 16th birthday present from her parents and it was even more special to her because it was her muggle mother who picked out and ordered the broom. They gave it to her as she boarded the train that year, her birthday being during the school year. Engraved in a delicate script at the sleek handle were the words '_Clara Lorell Hawkins, Our shining Star'_. It was the greatest gift Clara had ever received.

She reached the common room and was surprised to find that it wasn't empty. James and Sirius were sitting on the couch with their heads together, speaking in low voices.

"Going over the game plan gents? Or are you planning your wedding?" They jumped slightly at the sound of her voice and whipped their heads towards her; the shocked look on their faces was laughable.

"Good morning Clara. You're up early." James commented as his friend made her way to the chair next to Sirius. Both He and James were also wearing their robes and had their brooms lying out across the coffee table.

"I never sleep in on a game day." She explained as she plopped down on the chair, setting her broom in her lap. "What are you two gossiping about?"

"Oh, just plans for tonight's celebration." Sirius said in a confident manner.

"Yeah, we're just that much closer to the quidditch cup after this match today." Clara rolled her eyes at how cocky her two teammates were.

"You know, we haven't actually won yet. Don't count your dragons before they hatch boys." They looked at her like she was crazy.

"Please Clara, a little faith?" James asked before pulling out the folded parchment that was their unfinished castle map. He opened it out across the table in front of them and all three teenagers looked over it, their heads close together.

"How much did we get last night?" Clara asked as she looked at the elegant script that Remus had covered the crisp pages in. The boys were shocked to discover that out of the group, Clara actually had the worst handwriting. Her friendship with the marauders was forcing them to discover many unknown things about females, and sometimes, they weren't prepared for the numerous discoveries. Puberty had been a nightmare.

"All of the dungeon area and the first two floors of the grand staircase." Sirius commented with a smile. "That, plus what we already have, means we're almost finished. Only the astronomy tower and fourth and fifth floors to go."

"Then we put the knowledge charm on it and we'll know who is in the castle at all times." James's eyes were shining behind his circular glasses and messy hair. "Once this is done, roaming around the castle is going to be a breeze!"

"Well, you boys do take mischief to another level, don't you?" Clara commented with a laugh. "But you might want to consider putting on a vanishment spell or a counter-jinx on it. Or else anyone will be able to read it and when you undoubtedly get caught by Filch with it, he won't be able to use it against you." The two boys on the couch turned their heads and stared at Clara as if she were the most wonderful creature they had ever seen in their entire lives.

"My word Clara, you're BRILLANT!" James exclaimed before laughing in joy. He began to fold the map up with a new spring in his step. "With that mindset, there's no limit to what we could do with this map! Insult curses, pimple hexes... No one but the Marauders would be able to use this map!"

"Well, that's the idea isn't it?" Clara asked as a blush filled her cheeks. Though these boys were her best friends, she would never get comfortable with them gushing over her. She liked it better when they treated her like one of the guys.

"Why can't all women be more like Clara prongs? Brilliant, beautiful, and only slightly high-matinence." She blushed even harder as Sirius turned to James, before she digested what he had actually said.

"HEY!" She yelled at her handsome but annoying friend. He turned to her, oblivious, and Clara opened her mouth to tear into him. At that time Remus appeared at the foot of the stairs and it only took one quick glance for Clara to become silent. He looked horrible...

"Remus!" She exclaimed, going into mother-mode as she jumped up from the couch and instantly had an ungloved hand at his forehead. The entire went silent in surprise. "My goodness, you're burning up! You need to go to the hospital wing right away. Come on, I'll take you!" He chuckled shakily as he pulled Clara's hand down from his head and held it.

"I'll be fine Clara, don't worry. I just need some rest, I slept horribly last night. Peter was snoring again..." This didn't quell her fears however, and she looked at him with worried eyes.

"But Remus, you look frightfully ill. At least go get a tonic from Madam Pom.."

"Really Clara, I'll be fine!" He interrupted with another laugh. "You should be worrying about the game and beating that git McNash, not fretting over me." She still looked apprehensive so Remus gave her hand a squeeze, something that a snooping Sirius did not fail to miss.

"Speaking of which," Black interrupted loudly as he stood up and grabbed his broom from the table. "Are we going to sit around here discussing herbal remedies or are we going to go eat something before kicking Ravenclaw's arse? I don't know about you all, but I'm starving." Clara rolled her eyes before leaving Remus and picking up her broom again. James followed the actions of his friends and swung his broom around his shoulders.

"You're always hungry Sirius. I swear you're so similar to Snuffles that you two could be twins." Clara said before heading to the portrait hole with the boys following. Sirius caught up with her once they were descending the changing staircase and walked beside her.

"Who's Snuffles?" He questioned with a confused expression on his handsome face. Clara laughed as they entered the grand hall.

"He's our dog."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The Gryffindor house quidditch team walked onto the field with their heads held high. The captain led the red and gold team followed by James, the seeker. The rest of the team walked by groups, Chasers followed by beaters. Clara stood in between a tall dark skinned boy and the only other girl on the team, who had short brown hair. Her own blonde curls had been done up in a short French braid with her bangs pulled back with a scarlet ribbon. Sirius was walking directly behind her with a cocky grin on his face as the crowds cheered on the teams before the match began. Clara held her red tinted broom tightly to her chest, her small hands quivering nervously. As they approached the other team at the middle of the field, Clara gasped in surprise as her eyes fell upon the other Keeper. Steven McNach was indeed completely hairless. His grey eyes narrowed in anger as the Gryffindor team came to a stop behind Madam Hooch. Clara had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing, but she could hear Sirius chuckling rather loudly behind her.

"Captains, shake hands!" Hooch demanded. As the tall 7th years clasped hands in good sportsmanship Nash's eyes fell to Clara, sending a wave of nerves through her small body. She glared back.

"Let him have it." Sirius whispered to her as the players separated from their formation and got on their brooms. She felt a soft hand squeezing her right shoulder before she could see Sirius swinging a confident leg over his broom, instantly floating up into the air before he began to toss his beaters bat around lazily. Since Steven was also a chaser, Clara was forced to float parallel to him as Hooch finished shouting out the rules. He smirked at her as she rose into the air.

"Hey Steven, I like what you did to your hair. Maybe the a breeze on your lumpy head will help you think of a way to actually score a goal..." Clara pulled her leg over her broom and smiled alluringly at her ex-boyfriend. He wasn't smiling any more. "I doubt it."

The shrill blow of the whistle drowned out James and Sirius's fits of laughter and the game began.

It was an intense game to say the least. It had been going on for at least 2 hours and the score was tied. Clara was panting in exhaustion as she took a slight breather, watching as her captain blocked another attempted goal. A bludger whizzed past her ear, forcing her to leap higher in the air. Another one just missed her foot and she watched as Sirius raced towards her, his bat raised and his face bleeding.

"Come on Clara, get back in the game!" He yelled as he passed her, his face as serious as his name. Clara chuckled at her brilliant pun before taking a deep breath and diving back into the battle. McNach had the quaffle and was hastily making his way towards the goal. Urging her broom forward with all her might, Clara reached her opponent 20 feet from the goal posts. With a smirk on her lips she shoved into McNash as forcefully as possible, stretching her right arm out towards the quaffle. In his utter surprise Steven not only screamed like a girl, but he also let go of the ball, giving Clara the full advantage. She flew away from him like a shot and headed straight towards the other goal. Bludgers flew at her from every direction and she had to zig-zag to keep from being hit, but this also slowed her down. She could feel the other chasers gaining on her as she made her way to the goal. She pushed herself further and further and once she reached the three posts she locked on quickly and hurled the quaffle with all her might. A thunderous whistle sounded over the field, announcing the end of the game.

"Hawkins scores ten. Potter scores one hundred and fifty! Potter caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" With a huge smile on her face Clara soared to the field as her teammates were landing. With a squeal of joy she threw herself onto the first crop of dark hair that she found, looking for James.

Instead she found Sirius.

"Clara, that was brilliant!" He exclaimed as his arms squeezed her tightly. Her legs had latched themselves around his torso and her arms were wrapped around his neck, hugging him back.

"No Sirius! You were fantastic! I didn't get hit at all!" She leaned back to look at his bloody face. His arms were supporting her back and they were comfortable together. In fact, standing like they were, it made them... even happier.

"Uhh, guys? Aren't you gonna congratulate me?" An awkward voice broke their focus and both heads turned towards James at the same time, causing him to laugh.

"JAMES!" Clara shrieked before jumping from Sirius to James, attaching herself to him in the same exact way. James, however, fell over from both embarrassment and surprise, sending them both to the ground. Clara landed on top of her friend, straddling him with her padded legs. She took no time in kissing him on both cheeks, causing a startling scarlet blush to flood his cheeks.

"Co-come on Clara! Geroff me!"

"Why didn't you catch it sooner James!" Now she was glaring at him, her finger waving accusingly in his face. By this time, the entire team had made its way over and it was almost impossible to hear. "That game took over two hours!"

"I didn't do it on purpose! I kept getting hit by bludgers!"

"A likely story! I didn't get hit by a single bludger and I was in the middle of the field the entire game."

"That's because Sirius was shadowing you the entire game." Clara went silent. Now that she thought about it, it was very rare and odd to play an entire two-hour game of quidditch and not get hit at least once by a bludger. She didn't have time to dwell on this new information however, because suddenly she felt herself being lifted into the air.

"Now, now Clara, lets not give Evan's or McNash another reason to dislike Prongs. He does that well enough on his own." Sirius had picked up Clara like she weighed nothing and set her on her feet before bending over and helping James up. The team descended on them like a wave and soon there was nothing but laughing and screams. Clara stood in between her two best friends and they walked, arm in arm, back to the common room. It was tradition that after a victory the marauders would set up supplies for a grand party in the Gryffindor common room. Today, Clara was so cheery that she might even help them.

When they finally had everything set up it was almost dusk. Like usual, no one other than the quidditch team and the marauders were allowed in the tower until they had put everything together. Remus had been there in the beginning but he had left to sneak over to Hogsmeade to get more supplies. Clara had been worried about how horrible he still looked and was hesitant to let him leave. Unluckily for her, Emily had broken into the common room and forced Clara into a bath and fresh clothes. After that difficult task had been accomplished, Emily somehow managed to put an obsessive amount of make up on Clara, along with straightening her hair magically and forcing her to wear her most stylish pair of glasses.

"I really don't see a point to all this Emily! Enough MASCARA! I'm going downstairs right now!" Clara stood from where she had been practically chained to and walked to the door.

"Clara, WAIT!" The blonde signed in annoyance before turning. Emily was pointing her short wand at Clara and she uttered a short incantation. A shot of golden, sparkly light flashed out and raced towards Clara, bursting into a cloud of gold smoke upon impact.

"What did you just do?" Clara asked in shock, looking over her entire body for a sign of the spell. All she saw was her normal clothes, a pair of dark jeans, a white v-neck long sleeved shirt and blue flats. Nothing stuck out as different.

"It's a spell I invented! You'll smell wonderful for up to 5 hours!" Clara sniffed her arm hesitantly and noticed that she did indeed smell wonderful: like vanilla and a beautiful assortment of different types of flowers. "I told you, I'm going to own Witch Weekly one day."

"You are going to do a lot more that that Emily." Smiling to her best girl friend, Clara turned and walked down the stairs, welcoming the loud and raucous sounds coming from the common room. The first this Clara noticed upon entering the open circular space was the sheer number of people crammed into the small amount of space. All the couches and chairs had been pushed up against the wall and the space between was just flooded with every type of person. Laughter and conversation filled the air as Clara forced her way through the crowd, being patted and congratulated by people she couldn't see. When she finally broke free from the sea of people, she found herself near the large table covered with snacks and drinks from Hogsmeade. With a sigh of relief Clara grabbed a bottle of butterbeer and took a refreshing gulp of fizzy liquid. A few 6th years noticed that her and instantly pulled her into a conversation about the previous quidditch match. It was several moments before Clara noticed a swelling of noise at the steps. People began to sush each other as the Captain of the quidditch suddenly appeared above the group. He was standing on a table to look over the crowd and really get them fired up. This speech had become tradition after Gryffindor won the cup during Clara's 3rd year. James had been the seeker since his first year and had gotten them close to winning, but once Sirius, Clara, and the other male chaser Chad joined the team they had won the cup every year since. Clara began to reminisce about her earlier years at Hogwarts and a sweet smile fell across her lips. She could clearly remember almost everything; when she finally got her letter, school shopping with her dad, the first ride on the Hogwarts express, meeting the boys, and so much more. She didn't notice when the Captain called out each of the members of the Gryffindor team. She stood looking off into space as everyone in the room turned to her with a round of applause.

"Clara! Pay attention, will you?" A harsh but quiet voice brought her out of her reserve and Clara awkwardly smiled at the people clapping their hands. Luckily the captain began talking and Clara could finally breath again. She had never been one for large crowds. A soft chuckling forced her to check her surroundings and she noticed a rather handsome looking Sirius Black standing right next to her, holding a bottle of butter beer. He had cleaned up after the game, probably during the time she had been kidnapped, and now wore a pair of black pants and a dark grey button up shirt. His long hair fell free around his young but mature face.

"Well, you certainly clean up well... Which one are you after this time?" Clara inquired as she took another sip of butterbeer. Sirius laughed before taking a drink of his own.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you just complimented me..." Clara rolled her blue eyes as she leaned against the wall they had been standing by. She looked over the students, her friends, but didn't move to join them.

"Good thing you know me then... So what's her name?"

"Why do you think I only try to look nice to catch girls?" Clara glanced over at her friend and noticed that he wasn't looking at the crowd at all. His eyes were trained solely on her, and Clara had all of his attention. She started to feel warmth on the back of her neck.

"Because I'm not a plonker. Just tell me who it is?" Clara demanded as she looked away from Sirius and took another drink. She didn't want to look into his dark eyes right now... She couldn't handle it.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" This was a whisper and Clara almost dropped the bottle in her hands. Sirius was bent slightly, his mouth directly at Clara's ear, and he had one elbow leaving against the wall directly over Clara's blonde head. He was so close that she could smell his cologne... It was a very dark and expensive scent: Dangerous and mysterious and dark. Clara had to make herself remain calm and continue breathing steadily. The full moon poured in the common room from the windows along the tower and Clara wished it were morning already.

"Why are you avoiding the question?" She shakily took another sip of butterbeer and hoped that she looked nonchalant. Sirius barked out a laugh and straightened up before surveying the crowd.

"You are one of a kind Clara." Said woman looked up at her friend and watched as his eyes caught a hold of something that held a very high interest to him. His thin lips stretched into an alluring smile and his mood turned to one of excitement and adventure. "Well Hawks, I'd better get going. People to see, women to impress, you know." Clara opened her mouth to give a witty response but when she looked at Sirius the insult died on her lips. His face was a stoic mask, something he had learned from his harsh pureblood upbringing, but it was also full of mischief. He was up to something.

"Don't let me keep you from your skirt chasing Sirius. Have a good time." He grinned at her quickly before dissolving into the sea of people. She lazily attempted to watch his exit in an attempt to see the girl who he would surely triumph that night but there were too many bodies. She finished the last of her butterbeer before braving the riot once again, this time her only objective was making it to the stairs safely so she could go to bed: It had been a very long day.

"Clara, that was a brilliant game today!" An adorable 2nd year blocked her path, his freckly bright face showing nothing but affection for his superior. Clara inwardly groaned as she flashed a smile.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." Clara started looking for a path out.

"Were you frightened to go against a team filled with upperclassmen?" The little red head was back in her field of vision with a white grin.

"Erm, well, not really. They may have been almost all 7th years but we have a statistically stronger team." She smiled at him quickly before once again scanning the area. Was that Sirius near the portrait hole?

"Yes, but aren't you afraid of retaliation? You just destroyed more than half of the Ravenclaw team's last chance at getting the cup." That couldn't be Peter up there also, could it?

"Well kid, it isn't about age or year, it's about who has the better team." 'That's James too, no doubt about it' Clara thought as she inched herself towards the path that should get her to the portrait hole. "If the Raveclaw team can't accept the loss with good graces then they shouldn't be playing in the first place. No one likes a sore loser any more than they like a stuck up winner. Now if you'll excuse me..." With that Clara shoved her way through the crowd on an important mission to find her friends. They were up to something and she wanted to know what.

When she again broke free of the crowd, the three boys were gone. Growing suspicious Clara exited the common room and entered the grand staircase just in time to see a group disappear through the doors to the main entrance. Clara knew based on the fact that the boys descended seven flights of stairs in that short amount of time, they were up to something big. She flew down the stairs in a huff, upset that she hadn't been invited, and hurried out into the grand entrance. Filch was walking from the dungeons towards the grand hall so Clara had to hide behind a statue until him and his annoying cat disappeared before she could quietly sprint to the front door and slip outside. Absentmindedly Clara wondered why the professors didn't just put a locking spell on the door at night... After clearing the front steps she took a second to look around. The castle grounds were illuminated by the bright moonlight so it wasn't at all difficult to see. Clara looked around for her friends but didn't notice any abnormal movements. She saw a light in Hagrid's hut and decided that they had gathered there to plot against her... Once again. (Her birthday 3rd year they had planned a surprise gift that had ended in disaster.) Determined to stop the madness before it started, Clara made her way towards the half-giants humble abode. Just as she reached the circle of rock she heard an odd barking over to her right.

"Fang?" Clara sighed in annoyance and took the path to her right, in the direction of the forbidden forest. As Clara walked down the muddy path, a strange chill ran through her body forcing her to cross her arms in an effort to keep from shivering. Her blue eyes shifted all over the landscape but she could see no sign of Fang or the other boys. She got more and more anxious as the path came to an end and she was left with nowhere to go. Straight ahead of her was a shockingly dormant Whomping Willow and to her right was the dark forest.

"Alright boys! I know you're hiding somewhere!" The chatter of animals and the soft rustling of trees was the only response. Several moments of silence passed before Clara groaned in irritation. It was late and she was exhausted from the happenings of the day, not to mention pissed that her best friends had left her. With a yawn Clara decided that she could wait until morning to berate the marauders and she turned to leave. A snapping of twigs was all it took to make her instantly face the forest. It stood there gazing at her, standing tall like a fortress and looking dark and sinister. Even in the brightness of the full moon the forest seemed devoid of any light at all. It swayed and moved like a single organism, exuding terror and darkness from its very core. However, something else was pouring from the forest, wrapping itself around Clara and drawing her in.

She stood no chance against the spell of seduction that the forest commanded. As she reached the edge of the wood, a small voice at the back of her head screamed for her to stop. 'Stop and turn around and run back to the castle' it begged her. But a deep voice hidden between the trees broke Clara's last resolve and she sprinted straight into the thicket, leaving the world behind her.

Clara stopped her running once she reached a small clearing with moonlight pouring in like water. She looked around for any sign of her friends, so sure that the voice she had heard earlier belonged to Sirius. Another chilling breeze forced her to huddle slightly for heat and it was as she rubbed her arms for heat that the voice returned. He was chuckling darkly.

"Sirius?" Clara staggered to the middle of the clearing, twisting her head in every way, trying to find some sign of the boys. "James? Come on guys, this isn't funny!"

"It's actually quite amusing..." Clara gasped in shock as the voice filled the clearing from all around her. It was most certainly not Sirius and Clara began to feel fear creeping up her legs. Her breath came in quick bursts as she struggled to fish her wand out of her back pocket. Once it was securely fisted in her shaking hand Clara searched outward for the source of the noise.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Her voice was covered in a thick layer of terror and she attempted to quietly clear her throat. The delicious laughter returned, but this time it was centered near a tree directly in front of Clara.

"Of course, My lady." Out of the shadows a figure formed beneath the largest tree in the area.

"Come out where I can see you!" A red spark emitted from the tip of her slender wand as a sign of warning to the stranger, who chuckled again.

"As you wish." A man appeared in a flourish of black smoke and gazed at the terrified girl, his blood red eyes flickering lazily over her form. Clara gasped in shock before backing up as quickly as possible, until her back reached a tree and she could retreat no further. The man in front of her was devilishly handsome and dangerously spellbinding. He was tall and fit, with raven hair that was pulled away from his perfectly symmetrical face and fell to his elbows. His clothing was unique and seemed to come from another time all together. Every piece of clothing was another shade of black, which made his skin seem even more colorless. In the strong glow from the moon the man's exposed face and hands looked stark white and hard, like ice. His unnerving eyes stared at Clara, not breaking focus once.

"You-you're a vampire..." And the man smiled with mocking joy. Two long and razor sharp teeth revealed themselves, sending a fresh wave of panic through Clara's suddenly tiny body.

"What a clever little girl you are..." He took a calculated step forward, further exposing himself to the light and looking even more deadly. "But not clever enough to stay away from a cursed forest during a full moon... Pity" He barked out a laugh and Clara saw two more viciously sharpened incisors on his bottom row of teeth.

"St-stay ba-ba-back!" She brandished her wind in front of her body in an attempt to halt the strangers' advance. "I-I swear I'll..."

"Do what beautiful?" He interrupted with a chuckle. Clara thrust her wand forward again and opened her mouth to yell out an incantation. With a casual wave of his hand, the stranger sent Clara's wand flying into a tree to the right. It snapped on contact. The man was now hovering over Clara, much like Sirius had done earlier in the day, but it was for a different reason. He brought a large hand up to cup her warm cheek, lightly caressing her flesh with his undoubtedly razor sharp nails. Clara was shocked at his cold touch and could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate. The man lowered his mouth to the exposed flesh of her neck and pressed his cold lips against it.

"You should be running..." Clara's breath hitched in her throat and she could not scream. She simply pushed herself to the side and hurtled through the forest behind her. She races as fast as she possibly could, sloppily dodging trees and getting cut up all over from the foliage she sprinted through. Her journey was a short one and soon she found herself sprawling to the ground after tripping on an unearthed limb. She fell face first onto the hard forest floor, breaking her glasses and busting her lip open. She attempted to scramble to her feet but another deep laugh forced her to flip over onto her butt. She urgently pushed her self backwards into another tree and clutched at her heaving chest as blood poured from her swelling bottom lip. Her broken glasses lay on the muddy ground, as useless as her broken wand. Through her blurred vision she could see the stranger appear once again, his blood colored eyes almost glowing in the darkness.

"Tsk tsk, now look what you've done. You're all banged up, dearest heart." He slowly and threateningly approached where she was huddled up. With one cold stone hand the vampire forced Clara to look at him, the blood from her lip pooling in his palm and trickling down his sleeve. "What a pity, and I do so love a challenge." He retracted his now-soiled hand and brought it to his thin lips, a pale tongue darting out to slowly test the liquid. Clara could see as his eyes flashed suddenly, turning even brighter.

"But you do look so _beautiful_ in red..." Clara was able to release one single hopeless scream before the man's teeth sunk into her flesh like warm butter. The sound emitting from her throat strangled and drowned and her rigid flesh quickly slackened and went numb. Clara felt no more pain as she closed her dimming eyes on her last day of life.

Somewhere in the distance a howl of despair erupted through the suddenly moonless night.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"_Death was a funny thing..."_ I thought as I lay facedown on the floor of the Forbidden Forest. I was completely alone, the vampire having disappeared quite suddenly as the sun began to rise beyond the woods. What little blood I had remaining was slowly seeping into the dew covered earth, leaving me empty. There was actually no pain in dying and I was quite content to wait for death to find me. It's not like I could move or scream for help. Vampire venom is strong and spreads fast, leaving me completely useless... Even my thoughts were beginning to slow and I took that as a sign that death was near.

As I closed my eyes one last time an interesting object formed in my blurry vision. A sound like sniffing reached my quickly deafening ears as a black snout came closer towards my turned face. I tried to snap my eyes open to investigate this new discovery but they only offered one more second of vision before going blank completely.

Black shoes had flooded my last decipherable thought.

And then there was nothing.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X


	3. My First Day Again

"As we have formerly discussed we shall be returning to your previous house for the remainder of the school year. I understand that once the N.E.W.T.S. are completed you may wish to vacate the castle, however I think it could be beneficial to remain with us and participate in the graduation ceremony at the end of the year... But of course that is up to you. As requested you will have full use of the room of requirement as your private area, that way you will have what you need whenever you need it."

"Thank you Professor Dumbledore." The old man crossed his hands in front of his wizened face, the many decorative rings he wore sparkled in the firelight.

"And one more thing, my Dear. I know the recent years have been especially difficult for you, but please keep in mind that true friendship defies all limitations and, more often than not, all sanity." The gracefully aging man smiled from his position behind the great wooden desk, his bright blue eyes twinkled under his half-moon spectacles and his hands fell delicately to his sides.

"Yes Sir."

"Oh and Miss Hawkins?" He smiled even brighter. "Welcome back to Hogwarts." I nodded my head quickly in recognition before descending the spiraling stone steps and exiting Dumbledore's office. Once I was alone again I took a moments pause to gather myself.

I was back at Hogwarts after being away for almost two years... It seemed so surreal. The castle was dark and empty, the winter holiday was over and classes resumed tomorrow, which means soon these chilly stone hallways would be filled with hundreds of bright minds and beating hearts... All except for mine.

The numerous lit torched lining the hallway were the only source of light down the stony corridor. But it didn't matter to me, I could see perfectly as I walked along the large path, my feet light upon the rocks beneath me. I reached the moving staircase quickly and made my way for the 5th floor, unwanted images flashing through a large part of my mind as I ghosted through the empty but eerily familiar castle. My body filled with a bittersweet emotion as I forced myself to keep control and walk slowly to my destination. It was proving difficult to remain neutral at Hogwarts; the emotions raging through my body were becoming increasingly erratic and powerful.

The night I had been attacked in the Forbidden Forest is the last memory I have of this place. It is also the last memory I have of being alive...

I didn't die the night that beautiful stranger attacked me_, per say_. Instead I woke up a week later uncannily strong, stunningly beautiful, and exceedingly intelligent: my flesh had been replaced with stone and my teeth with razors. The package was complete with a wicked and unquenchable desire for blood. The man who attacked me that on that dark night was a vampire and, because he didn't kill me, now so was I.

I woke up to discover that during my transformation I had been transferred to a Vampire Coven in the northern part of Germany. Which, as it turned out, was going to become my new home. No hospital, magical or not, would have been able to cure me and I couldn't have returned to my parents... I would have killed them the second I reawakened.

Professor Dumbledore, after discovering me and realizing what was going to happen, shipped me off to an acquaintance of his; a vampire by the name of Jonathan Dillbert. Master Jon, as he is called, took me under his wing and became my (for lack of a better title) vampire tutor. He taught me everything about what it took to exist in the magical age as a member of the underworld. He was forever patient with me, giving me a home when I had nowhere else to go, teaching and protecting me, and taking the blame for the few 'slip-ups' that occurred as I struggled to come to terms with my new existence. In a way, Jonathan became like a father to me, he was my first and only connection in the world I had been forced into. That night in the Forbidden Forest was also my last night in the Wizarding World...The Ministry of Magic did not recognize Vampires as Wizards, though many start out as one. They also have several different laws regarding how Vampires in the European district were supposed to behave and what they could or couldn't do. Brandishing a wand, for instance, was against the law for a Vampire unless they have completed their N.E.W.T.S to an acceptable degree. So for me, that meant no more magic, at least until I received my letter from Dumbledore about 2 months ago.

I was out with Master Jon on what the German Coven jokingly calls a 'Trial Run'. If I could live peacefully coexist with mortals in a public setting for six months I was allowed to leave the Coven and return to the Magical world in London. This meant no slip-ups, no publicity, and absolutely no creating 'new-bloods' (a vampire term for baby-vamps new to the whole immortal existence). Basically that meant I had to stay hidden and finish all of my meals. Jon visited often, so I wasn't that alone. When the letter arrived, he practically ordered me to go.

"It vould do our people vell to have one legally able to use magic. Vhen I turned, one of us using magic meant almost instant extermination."

"Master Jonathan, I don't want to return there. I just want to finish my trail in peace and then..."

"Zen vhat Clara? Live in a disgraced existence? As a vampire, you can do not-sing!" His German accent was flooded with passion as he paced the small study of my dingy little cottage. The letter was open and face up, Dumbledore's welcoming signature shining like starlight in the darkness that enveloped my house. We couldn't leave the candles lit all the time; it would be suspicious to the muggles I was neighbored to. "But as a Vizard, you can help change ze laws. Give your peoples ze rights zat ve deserve. Finish zeese exams and join ze Ministry. You owe it to our bro-zers Clara!" I wanted to argue but I knew it would fall upon deaf ears. Jonathan was a radically political Vampire, always fighting for equal rights and for the end of prejudice against the un-dead. But for Vampires, who were not seen as actual human beings, it was nearly impossible to break into a position in the Government where they could actually make a difference. Most of the time, they were kept in the shadows and used for wizard protection.

I attempted to push these memories from my mind as I climbed the final flight of stairs but it was impossible. That was the trouble with using 100% of your brain all the time. Sure, you were amazingly intelligent, but you could never push the bad things away. Being able to think about a million different things at once was almost all the time a huge downside of eternal life.

I walked along the corridor silently; my steps made no sound as they lightly touched the hard stones beneath me. I could hear hundreds of different sounds through out the castle but none of them seemed important enough for me to pay any particular amount of attention to. On the other hand, the close smell of roses and jasmine mixed with human blood certainly sparked both my interest and my instincts as a group of girls approached my path. Soon their voices floated to my ears and though I understood everything that they were saying, I didn't really care to focus on it much. The group in question consisted of three seventh year girls, two from Gryffindor and the other from Hufflepuff. Two shiny prefect badges sparkled on the chests of the girl in yellow robes and Lily Evans, one of the ones in scarlet. The shape of her badge was slightly different and shined a bit brighter so I figured it meant Evans was Head Girl. I contemplated hiding for a millisecond before walking towards my destination. I didn't feel like creeping tonight.

"What are you doing out at this hour?" Evans demanded in an authoritative voice. It sounded much different than the muffled memories that sometimes popped up in my mind. Her voice was slightly more mature, less annoying and scratching. She sounded like she had calmed down quite a bit from her uppity, superior years. I turned my shoulders slightly and looked over the group for half a second.

Their robes had a slightly different design than I remembered but, then again, who can trust a human memory. I stood in an all black dress robe that started slightly underneath my chin and ended in a pool of fabric around my feet. I hadn't changed into my school robes yet; I had all night to do that. My golden-blonde hair fell in curly waves around my shoulders and ended just beyond my waist, the only splash of color on an otherwise pallid canvas. I knew that to them my eyes would seem black, so I kept them hidden in shadows. I would put in magic contacts for classes tomorrow and I would have to drink tonight in order to avoid any major discolorations to my irises. I watched as Lily Evan's eyes widened in shock as she realized who I was. I was actually surprised that she even remembered me.

"Clara?" Her voice was shaking and unsure. "Clara Hawkins? Is that you?" The other two girls glanced worryingly at Lily before eyeing me in a type of recognition.

"I thought Head Boy and Head Girl did rounds together." My voice filled the emptiness, reverberating off the walls in a cascade of harsh perfection. I had kept some of my vocal tendencies after the change, but my chords had filled out and became captivatingly beautiful.

"Remus has... taken ill this evening." So he still had a weak constitution... "Clara, what are you doing here? Where have you been?" I turned my head away and looked at the empty wall in front of me. I didn't exactly feel up to this little reunion or ready for the questions Lily was sure to ask. Besides, the smell of the girls was becoming more tempting by the second.

"Don't you have rounds to complete?" The other girls shied away at my suddenly threatening sound. They couldn't register why they felt afraid but it didn't matter, they didn't want to be there any longer. Lily, however, walked closer towards me.

"Everyone was so worried Clara... Especially the boys. We haven't heard from you in almost two years. Where have you been?" I inwardly growled in annoyance. The way Evans said 'the boys' sounded too familiar, which meant her and James must finally be dating. I turned my back to them and began to slowly walk away.

"Clara? Clara please talk to me." Lily was following me and the smell coming from beneath her skin was really beginning to make my mouth water. I turned my head ever so slightly and glared at her, stopping her forward assault with a chilling stare. The look on her face was one of absolute terror.

"There is nothing to talk about Evans. I was in the hospital, it's as simple as that." I continued to walk and knew that they would not follow me. The large empty space that became the room requirement at the end of the long hall was slowly approaching. "I have Dumbledore's permission to be here so if you have a problem with it then talk to him." I could hear one of the girls urging Lily to move from the spot I'm sure she was rooted. It took a bit of a struggle but eventually the three girls scurried away to the grand staircase. I bet Evans immediately sprinted to the common room to tell James and the rest. Tomorrow was going to be interesting to say the least.

When I reached the end of the hall it was easy to uncover what place in the unblemished wall would transfigure into the Room of Requirement. Whenever magic is performed or issued it leaves behind a trail of something like a warm energy. Vampires, with our heightened senses and perceptive minds, can easily find these 'warm spots'. This generally helps us in both tracking Wizards and discovering hidden magic, much like the dark wooden door that was slowly emerging from the crumbling rocks in front of me.

'_I need a place where I can be myself. One where I can exist freely and where no human may enter'_

The door solidified instantly and my hand clasped the smooth metal of the low brass knob. As I entered the dark room a fire roared to life in a small fireplace on the wall to my immediate left, casting light over the entire room and allowing for more clarified observation. The area with the fireplace was empty except for a small red armchair and another thin wooden door which, from the empty and sterile smell that exuded from it, seemed to be a washroom.

A large window was carved in the wall directly in front of me, displaying the bright full moon and the dark forest. Next to the window sat a long desk, topped with a shelf of fresh parchment and a container filled with new quills and jars of ink. The books that I had purchased earlier were already set up on the desk chair and my black school bag was hung over the back, waiting to be filled.

On the eastern side sat a peculiar device. A large and highly comfortable looking bed, covered in dark red sheets and cream-colored pillows, took up the entire wall and floor space. A short black nightgown, which I don't remember ever seeing before, was alluringly laid out across the bed, just waiting to be put on. Absentmindedly I wondered why the Room of requirement decided I would need a bed. It wasn't like I slept anymore. Another perk of being un-dead, you can't sleep. No matter how much you want to...

The last section of the room was by far the most interesting. It had a rather large armoire, which from the smell seemed to be filled with all of my own clothing and several more unknown articles. Past the closet and in the far corner of the room stood a three-legged cabinet made completely of metal. The only door on the device was located directly in the center of the smooth surface. A crystal doorknob sparkled mysteriously and I instantly found myself in front of the cabinet. I glanced at the metal device cautiously. It didn't have a very strong scent so it was hard to figure out what it would be used for. My hand clasped the knob surely and turned it until I could hear the familiar _click_ that allowed me to swing the door open.

My teeth instantly sharpened as desire flooded my entire body, which immediately went rigid as the tempting smell of fresh blood wafted up to my nose and set my mind on fire with need. My burning eyes peered into the main compartment of the cabinet to find a large wine bottle and a single crystal goblet. In less than a second both objects were in my hands and I was amazed to find the wine bottle was actually filled with the most delicious smelling blood. It was a flurry of glass and wax as I opened the bottle up, in my haste I actually ripped the neck of the bottle off, spilling glass and the wonderful liquid over the wooden floor. My razor sharp teeth scraped the glass even more as I shoved the bottle in my mouth, allowing the soothing fluid to coat my aching throat. The bottle had around 5 intoxicating liters of blood in it; roughly more than an average human male. I couldn't finish and slowly removed the glass from my mouth, feeling content, if not a bit sloshy. Putting the remains of the broken bottle in my untouched goblet, I could see that I had enough for a small snack for when I got thirsty a few days from now. The red stained cup went back into the metal cabinet and the empty blood bottle went into the fireplace, along with the broken shards that had fallen to the floor. I took my wand out for the first time in months and obliterated the glass in the flames with a smirk before I cleaned the droplets of blood on the wood beneath my feet. Once that was complete the smell of blood had vanished from the room, leaving me full and quite satisfied. This new way of feeding was going to take getting used to but I could see a huge advantage. The blood was definitely human, which meant that I wouldn't have to hunt in the forest for animals like I originally thought. As a member of Jonathan's family, I was forbidden from ever hunting humans. Sure, accidents happen and the deceased were always game, but generally feeding off mortals, especially Wizards, was against our laws. Something about building trust with people and not creating anymore Vampires until we lived in freedom. So we stuck to hunting animals.

Yes, the thrill of the chase was always exciting and the animal blood worked to quell the horrible thirst, but nothing fulfilled fire in your throat more than human blood. After all, Vampires needed life-blood to function, and we couldn't produce our own because we weren't alive. We were parasites, feeding off of the living to remain alive ourselves.

I glanced of the window and watched every color imaginable race through the sky as the sun rose over the black lake. It was my first day of school all over again. I headed towards the bathroom slowly, deciding to get prepared for the day at human pace in order to waste time.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

I left my room rather early in the morning, trying to avoid the morning breakfast rush. Before returning to Hogwarts I already decided to steer clear of the great hall at all times. If the sheer number of delicious students weren't a problem then the conversations I would be forced to engage in would be, as would the dubious stares. Besides, I didn't eat food anyway, so what was the point.

I knew that my earlier run-in with Lily Evans was only a fraction of what would happen when I finally came face to face with the Marauders again. I hadn't seen or heard from any of them since my last night in Hogwarts almost two years ago. I lived with the German Coven in complete and utter isolation... Not even my own parents wrote to me. But I guess that was to be expected. I mean, it's not every day that you find out that your only daughter has been transformed into a blood-sucking monster that feeds on the living and will never die. I think dad took it the hardest, being the magical parent; He knew the realities of what my becoming a Vampire meant. Jonathan had told me while Dumbledore was visiting them to explain what had happened he offered to give them my location so they could keep in contact with me.

They refused.

During my meeting with Dumbledore I found out that the only people who knew my dirty little secret at Hogwarts were Himself and the Professors. He hadn't told anyone else, and that included the marauders. He said telling them was a decision I would have to make on my own. I thanked them but told him that I wasn't at school for friends or to reestablish old relationships; I was here for my N.E.W.T.S and nothing else.

Thankfully I had a full schedule to work with so staying busy would be easier. I was taking all of the N.E.W.T level classes along with private lessons with Professor Binns, the only actual employed ghost at Hogwarts, in order to catch up from the past year and a half. Binns was nothing but smoke and therefore blood-less so Dumbledore didn't have to worry about me trying to eat him during our little sessions. Which meant that I would be able to get all the help I needed with out the risk of killing someone to get it. It wasn't going to take long until I was back at the top of my year again again: Vampire brains were amazingly powerful and abnormally clever. Plus I was allowed full library access and almost unlimited castle-roaming privileges during my stay at Hogwarts so I would be never have to worry about anything other than studying and staying away from people.

7th year double-potions with Slughorn was my first class of the day so I headed for the dungeons as soon as the first groups of students began to litter the stone hallways. As I walked through the grand entrance the huge door to the Great Hall opened and a bouquet of luscious, pulsing scents crashed over me. I wasn't hungry in the least, my earlier meal was going to keep me happy for a few days, but that doesn't mean my instincts weren't affected. I slowed down to an almost crawl and I could feel my body becoming more stone than flesh. My fists curled themselves in, long fingers slowly turning into deadly knives while my iron knuckles popped in anticipation. My teeth began to ache for warm, blissful release and they scraped against my slowly curling lips. I hustled through the dungeon door and away from the smell. Earlier in my decision to come here I had felt overly confident of my ability to resist the "red temptation", but feeling all of that delicious life-blood at one time was unbelieveable. Had I been hungry at that time, who knows what horrors could have occurred. I guess along with earning my wand I would also have to improve my tolerance level. What good is a Vampire in the Wizarding world if they couldn't resist even the slightest temptation?

As I reached the large black door that opened to the potions room I was thrown off by yet another smell, however this one wasn't alluring in the least. In my wildest dreams I would never be able to imagine the sheer stench that arose from the potions classroom. As a human, I could slightly remember it being pretty bad, but as a Vampire equipped with extra sensitive senses, it was almost unbearable. The smell hit me several steps outside of the room and I was shocked into immobility; It was absolutely ghastly. I took a quick gulp of fresh air before I stopped breathing all together and entered the empty classroom.

I re-memorized the large cellar quickly before taking my place in the farthest corner of the room. It was partly hidden in shadows and a bit offside from any other cauldron table, and there I sat, hidden in shadows, until the first trickle of students entered the room. Professor Slughorn, like all of the other teachers at Hogwarts, already knew about my condition and had promised not to call attention to my being there. Thankfully, he was the type of wizard who saw Vampires as beneath him, so he barely looked at me as he entered the room to set up the lesson. Unfortunately I didn't remain invisible for very long. As more of the students filled the large room urgent whispering arose on one singular topic... me.

I could hear every word said about me with perfect clarity, every shock of recognition, every ridiculous theory about my departure, every conclusion drawn about my return, and even comments on how my appearance had changed... Those came mostly from the male students. It was hard concentrating on acting human when you could hear ten different conversations about yourself. My back remained rigidly straight and I did not look at any of the other students as the room filled up. I was here to learn, not to add more fuel to the gossip-fire that was Hogwarts. Besides, these conversations and accusations would only be the tip of the iceberg. The door slammed open suddenly and all conversations died instantly. A sudden questionable chill fell over the students as the last ones to enter silently took their seats to the table exactly opposite of where I was located. Because I was not breathing, it was very hard to identify the people around me, but based on the mood that had just fallen over the classroom it wasn't hard to guess who the last students to enter were. As Slughorn began his dramatic first-term speech I stole a peek at where the mystery students were sitting. I merely wanted to confirm my assumption and the glance took less than a nano-second but the image I received I will remember for the rest of my existence.

James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew, now of age and fully grown, all sat at the same table blatantly staring at me. Peter's face was covered in fearful confusion while James' was full of worried disbelief. But it was Sirius' expression that was the most memorable. There he sat more rugged and handsomer than ever, long black hair and shining dark eyes, glaring at me with a look of complete and utter loathing.

Welcome back to Hogwarts Clara...


End file.
